This Sport is Going to Die if....

[fin7]

After trying to get help to get us started and getting nowhere...

 

You asked for help in the GPS & Technology forum here, and were advised to ask for help in the UK section of the forums (which is here).

 

You haven't yet actually asked for help in the UK forum, or in the NW forum , so it is a bit harsh to say no one will help, surely?

 

...if veterans could take the time I'm know newbies like me would really appriciate it.

 

If you ask on the UK forum, someone will help. If you ask on the NW cachers forum, someone will help.

 

The best advice I can offer is to follow what Munkeh told you - there is an event cache (which is where cachers meet up to chat, drink, eat and tell tall tales) near you on 12 September in Kenton Bank Foot (see here) and this would be an excellent opportunity to meet people and ask for help.

 

If you ask, they will help - if you don't, they can't!

 

Best of luck,

 

Mike

 

I did ask if people hunt in groups or alone, no one asked if we'd like to try with them, those that answered said they tend to hunt with borther in laws or sisters. I said I was hopeless and I'm looking at buying a guide to help us, I got one answer to that.

[+Von-Horst]

PM sent - hope it helps.

 

Mike

[+Sol seaker]

Greetings,

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

 

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN CACHING IN MY TOWN!!!!

 

1. easiest to begin with another cacher. They can show you the ropes and lead you away from the evil micros. I don't think I would have ended up in this game if I did not have someone to show me how it's done.

2. different areas tend to have different types of caches.

My area is full of evil micros. My partner, who has been caching 8 years, will not geocache in my city. We go elsewhere. Try another area.

[+Indotguy]

The hobby waxes and wanes by region but generally has been going strong since 1991. I seriously doubt it will die simply because an individual couldn't find any caches.

[vagabond]

1991?????????????????

[+popokiiti]

We have found that we often overthink the cache...when all else fails, we use the mantra of fellow cachers called cache-crop "think where you would hide it" and bingo! Also, some of the easy ones we find difficult, while the difficult ones come easily to us. Go figure!

Don't give up....you are just experiencing what we did in the beginning, and still do. Good luck and happy caching!

[+Indotguy]

The hobby waxes and wanes by region but generally has been going strong since 1991. I seriously doubt it will die simply because an individual couldn't find any caches.

 

Ooops...yeA i JUsT nOtiCed thaT..(1991)...! TRY 2001 maYbe...

[+Jeep_Dog]

I've got around 70 DNFs. I'm quite excited about getting 100 of them, and have determined the best way to do so would be to hunt caches soley with my iPhone.

 

Really. I've attempted to use the iPhone to find 20 or so caches, and only found one of them with only using the iPhone. Let me tell you, it was quite a celebration with me and the little 'uns when we found it. A milestone, perhaps. Definitely a memorable moment.

 

The other 19? Gave up in frustration after 25 or so minutes of searching, fired up the GPSr, and found the caches in less than 5 minutes (most of them within seconds). Uh.... right. Unless the cache is an Ohio barn-sized extra large cache, I wouldn't be firing up my iPhone to do this activity.

[+Severnside]

When I first started I was getting the same kind of frustration, but realised it must be my equipment or technique that was at fault. I had a rather elderly GPS and worked out something rather clever.

 

I found a clearly identifiable landmark in my garden using Google Earth then logged its co-ordinates - then I placed my GPS there and left it for a few hours to ensure it had received the best possible info from the satellites.

 

Comparing the recorded GPS co-ordinates with the Google Earth co-ordinates revealed a substantial error of around 20 meteres (60 feet).

 

Luckily my GPS was able to be re-set with a correction factor and, after that, it worked great.

 

I have now added a Garmin Geko 201 but still use the original as a backup or in case of battery loss

 

I have tested the Geko the same way and found it 100% reliable to within a few feet, but I'd recommend a simple check like this to anyone worried asbout not finding simple caches where everyone before has been successful.

 

Best rgds and good luck

 

John B

[+Wogus!]

Some suggestions from a fairly new Geocacher (though not as new to the sport as my account might suggest)...

 

Start with caches that SOUND easy to begin with; ones that are geographically close and don't require hiking and bush whacking and such.

 

Check to see that the cache you're going to be hunting has been spotted recently. In my opinion this can be huge: Nothing more frustrating than looking for a cache that's been muggled away to parts unknown. Arrrgh!

 

Lastly, just before you head out, read the description, decrypt any additional clues and read ALL the logs. Print any helpful information to take with you. The logs will often provide helpful hints.

 

I returned to a DNF location for the third time just yesterday after reading a log where someone pointed out the "official" coordinates (meaning the ones given in the description) could be a little off. Sure enough, using the suggested coordinates was enough to get me over the hump and I scored the find. This cache was practically on my way home from work so it met all the criteria: it's close, it's a non-micro, had been logged less than a week prior and the logs made it sound like an easy "Dash and Cache", which in reality it was once I asked myself, "Where would I hide it?"

 

So yeah, the previously mentioned "mantra" from a few posts up -- asking yourself, "Where would *I* hide a cache in this area?" -- is absolutely your best weapon.

[+Team Cotati]

Greetings,

 

We have not geocached in awhile, and today a friend was visiting and the subject came up, and this friend did not know what geocaching was. I said, "it's really fun, let's go do some", and so I called up the Geocaching.com iPhone app and away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

Needless to say my friend was not very impressed, and our kids were all tired.

 

My iPhone GPS is great, it works like a charm. We found the general area of the caches, but once there the hints were so vague, the descriptions so lacking in real helpful information that we simply could not find them.

 

I'm sure it is me. I am not blaming anyone. I see that others find caches. All I'm saying is that if newbies cannot find caches they will not be interested in this sport.

 

Why can't the descriptions be specific and the hints actually help? After all, we have navigated to the site, which is half the fun. Why can't we find them once we get there?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

 

Some people just aren't well suited to certain activities. Snow skiing and fly fishing come to mind.

 

Perhaps this is yours.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Team Cotati

[+coppermermaid]

Greetings,

 

We have not geocached in awhile, and today a friend was visiting and the subject came up, and this friend did not know what geocaching was. I said, "it's really fun, let's go do some", and so I called up the Geocaching.com iPhone app and away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

Needless to say my friend was not very impressed, and our kids were all tired.

 

My iPhone GPS is great, it works like a charm. We found the general area of the caches, but once there the hints were so vague, the descriptions so lacking in real helpful information that we simply could not find them.

 

I'm sure it is me. I am not blaming anyone. I see that others find caches. All I'm saying is that if newbies cannot find caches they will not be interested in this sport.

 

Why can't the descriptions be specific and the hints actually help? After all, we have navigated to the site, which is half the fun. Why can't we find them once we get there?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

[+coppermermaid]

Greetings,

 

We have not geocached in awhile, and today a friend was visiting and the subject came up, and this friend did not know what geocaching was. I said, "it's really fun, let's go do some", and so I called up the Geocaching.com iPhone app and away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

Needless to say my friend was not very impressed, and our kids were all tired.

 

My iPhone GPS is great, it works like a charm. We found the general area of the caches, but once there the hints were so vague, the descriptions so lacking in real helpful information that we simply could not find them.

 

I'm sure it is me. I am not blaming anyone. I see that others find caches. All I'm saying is that if newbies cannot find caches they will not be interested in this sport.

 

Why can't the descriptions be specific and the hints actually help? After all, we have navigated to the site, which is half the fun. Why can't we find them once we get there?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

[+coppermermaid]

Greetings,

 

We have not geocached in awhile, and today a friend was visiting and the subject came up, and this friend did not know what geocaching was. I said, "it's really fun, let's go do some", and so I called up the Geocaching.com iPhone app and away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

Needless to say my friend was not very impressed, and our kids were all tired.

 

My iPhone GPS is great, it works like a charm. We found the general area of the caches, but once there the hints were so vague, the descriptions so lacking in real helpful information that we simply could not find them.

 

I'm sure it is me. I am not blaming anyone. I see that others find caches. All I'm saying is that if newbies cannot find caches they will not be interested in this sport.

 

Why can't the descriptions be specific and the hints actually help? After all, we have navigated to the site, which is half the fun. Why can't we find them once we get there?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

[+coppermermaid]

Greetings,

 

We have not geocached in awhile, and today a friend was visiting and the subject came up, and this friend did not know what geocaching was. I said, "it's really fun, let's go do some", and so I called up the Geocaching.com iPhone app and away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

We went to the first site, and the 7 of us looked for nearly 30 minutes and did not find it.

 

We went to the second site and same story.

 

Same with the third and fourth.

 

By the time we had visited no less than 6 Geochaching sites and not finding the cache in any of them, we came back home.

 

Needless to say my friend was not very impressed, and our kids were all tired.

 

My iPhone GPS is great, it works like a charm. We found the general area of the caches, but once there the hints were so vague, the descriptions so lacking in real helpful information that we simply could not find them.

 

I'm sure it is me. I am not blaming anyone. I see that others find caches. All I'm saying is that if newbies cannot find caches they will not be interested in this sport.

 

Why can't the descriptions be specific and the hints actually help? After all, we have navigated to the site, which is half the fun. Why can't we find them once we get there?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

[namiboy]

i've never geocached with anyone that was doing it before me, meaning i never asked for help in the field, never went to an event etc. from what i've seen though, if you do ask for help you usually get it. that said, i don't think this sport will die, and if it does, big whoop. there's plenty of other things to do.

[lego my cache]

I agree. I've been so excited to do this with my kids. We are really having a bad time with it. I can't seem to find any group in town to help. My kids already don't want to do it and hate it because we aren't finding caches. Some of the difficulty levels I feel are grossly underestimated like the steep hill we could have broke a leg trying to go down was less than a three. The descriptions really need to be more detailed so I can make a decision not to take my kids due to the MAJOR bushwhacking and deet requirements! I have found micros and I've found some labeled to be a level 3 difficulty. Quickly getting P.O.'d and not really wanting to spend more money upgrading to Premium member until we have some sort of fun doing this. What would be the point? So glad I didn't spend $300 on a new GPS handheld (I'm borrowing a Garmin 60c) because I would really hate wasting money on something we are ready to quit after 2 weeks of failure and no help! So I agree, this will die and I will let others know how much we right now hate it because of inconsistency. (well in this case consistent lack of fun for my kids and me)!

Edited September 5, 2009 by lego my cache

[+niraD]

Some of the difficulty levels I feel are grossly underestimated like the steep hill we could have broke a leg trying to go down was less than a three.

The terrain rating is usually based on the best way to approach a cache, which is not necessarily the way the arrow on your GPSr is pointing.

 

I found one that was just a short distance off the trail, in an area free from poison oak. Other logs mentioned bushwhacking through poison oak for a quarter mile or more. Those people got to a sharp bend in the trail, and rather than follow the trail, they decided to follow the arrow. They were never more than a couple hundred feet from the trail, but they made the journey a lot more difficult for themselves.

 

What I'm saying is that maybe there was a better route to get to the cache, that didn't involve hiking down the steep hill. (Then again, different people have very different ideas of what 2-star "suitable for small children" terrain is.)

[namiboy]

I agree. I've been so excited to do this with my kids. We are really having a bad time with it. I can't seem to find any group in town to help. My kids already don't want to do it and hate it because we aren't finding caches. Some of the difficulty levels I feel are grossly underestimated like the steep hill we could have broke a leg trying to go down was less than a three. The descriptions really need to be more detailed so I can make a decision not to take my kids due to the MAJOR bushwhacking and deet requirements! I have found micros and I've found some labeled to be a level 3 difficulty. Quickly getting P.O.'d and not really wanting to spend more money upgrading to Premium member until we have some sort of fun doing this. What would be the point? So glad I didn't spend $300 on a new GPS handheld (I'm borrowing a Garmin 60c) because I would really hate wasting money on something we are ready to quit after 2 weeks of failure and no help! So I agree, this will die and I will let others know how much we right now hate it because of inconsistency. (well in this case consistent lack of fun for my kids and me)!

 

it won't die. there are almost 900,000 geocaches around the world, almost 500,000 members, so i just don't see that happening. are you po'd at the hiders? the only help i've ever received or even asked for, was on this site and i have a blast with it, so does my daughter, nephew and i recently was in japan and my in-laws had a great time doing it as well. my wife doesn't really like it, so she doesn't go. no big whoop. maybe you're looking for stuff that is too hard for someone just starting out, maybe the people around your area have been busy or something. maybe there will be an event soon in your area. have you checked? have you been to your region specific forum? then again...maybe this just isn't the hobby for you.

[+Photoguy505]

Hi all, Here's my input for the no-find situation. I JUST returned from my first cache excursion. Well, technically my second. The first was a cache that was less than 500 feet from my house and I didn't find it. How's that for lame?

Today was different. I had been past one of the caches I found today several times on my mountain bike! It was a 2-stager named Jetty Jacks near zip code 87114. The second stage was way cool. Ammo can with all kinds of goodies.

The second cache was a bit more trying. Seeing as it was less than a quarter mile from the first, did I use trails? Oh no, I bushwacked. I know, bad on me. Sorry. You'll see why it won't happen again shortly.

Halfway between the first and second cache there was a tent set up. They had to bushwack to get it where it was. Normal folks don't usually camp there, there are many more appealing places within short distances. I heard some language I hadn't in a while, threatening me to leave and what sounded like a gun cocking. I got out as fast as I could. Second cache finally... lost a water bottle, found a cell phone, and was (according to my gps) still 40 feet away.. and I walked up on it! Almost in plain sight.

Said all that to say this.. it's an adventure that sometimes doesnt work out but like my co-cachers have said, check the accuracy of your gps and also if the cache hider listed their accuracy at the time of placement. It's a hoot.. I'm just getting started and I'm hooked like a bass on a Gamakatsu!!

[+mc581]

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

 

The sport is in the hunt, some owners intentional make it harder. Choose the easiest ones near you first. Scribble notes for each cache's hints and read more than the 5 listed finds. Quite often other hunters will accidentally slip hints too when they log their find. Arm yourself the best you can before you even leave the house. Each cache is graded for difficulty in finding and in terrain. Don't be afraid to log "didn't find" as the owner can learn about his hide and up the rating if too many can't find it. He can check for damage or missing caches as well. As for dieing I don't think so. This time last year when I started there were 650,000 caches world wide. This August I read there were over 800,000. After a few successes you will get the feel for the hides and find more and more. Don't give up yet!

[+mc581]

Does anyone have any suggestions for me as to how to actually find these things?

 

I'm open to hearing!

 

The sport is in the hunt, some owners intentional make it harder. Choose the easiest ones near you first. Scribble notes for each cache's hints and read more than the 5 listed finds. Quite often other hunters will accidentally slip hints too when they log their find. Arm yourself the best you can before you even leave the house. Each cache is graded for difficulty in finding and in terrain. Don't be afraid to log "didn't find" as the owner can learn about his hide and up the rating if too many can't find it. He can check for damage or missing caches as well. As for dieing I don't think so. This time last year when I started there were 650,000 caches world wide. This August I read there were over 800,000. After a few successes you will get the feel for the hides and find more and more. Don't give up yet!

[+Ladybug Kids]

Also, verify your iPhone/GPS is configured for WGS84 datum. Some datums can be one hundred or more meters different than WGS84, the standard datum used for geocaching.

[+BareFeat]

Sorry to the few that are having a hardtime getting going with geocaching. First you have to look at the history of the sport, and realize up until about a year ago (maybe a little longer) this sport has had sort of "cult" status. Meaning it really is not for everyone, (but those who love it really LOVE iT) Maybe some people just have an eye for this sort of thing and this is how these 900,000 caches still around and are not found daily by muggles.

 

My advice would be the same as what i've read from others, obviously look at your difficulty rating, pick ones that say "suitable for kids" if your going with your kids. (so you dont break your leg coming down a hill). Also jump into the regional forums for your area, or find a nice geo-group. There are a ton of event listings everyday here at the site. Try hitting an event if you feel frustrated. Not all geocachers visit these forums, so if you don't get the response your looking for in the regional forums watch for an event.

 

There you can meet some local cachers, and I would be surprised if you didn't have someone volunteer to meet with you down the road a-ways and help you and your family's do some searching. In my experience most geocachers love to help each other, (especially new folks) and love to turn people on to the sport.

 

Its funny to read these threads, as I've been trying to come up with harder and harder caches for the cachers in my own area. Alot of the ones around us are simply to easy. There is no challenge whatsoever. We routinely find letterboxes and an occasional geocache on accident while searching for another now. Maybe because we've hit the 1 year mark we are getting more "intune" with what is going on around us as far as hiding spots.... im not sure.

 

Try picking an area with multiple caches, and a nice trail. Then you got some fresh air (hopefully) had some fun and saw some wildlife or some other piece of nature that soothed your soul. And then get back to the hunt. Before too long you will be stumbling over caches everywhere you go.

 

(be aware if your using an iphone/windows mobile there are bugs that can happen!! for instance windows mobile will act very strangely if you try to use a wifi internet connection and then pull up satellites.. or sometimes they may appear to be locked up but you realize it is locking the fix it had from 2 days ago. Always reboot before you start a fresh geo-hunt with any sort of PPC or iphone)

 

Good luck! Oh and watch for a big pile of old logs! hahaha

[+mike-ski]

As a 3GS user using the MOTION-X app (which I think is the best)...I have found my first caches with it. I'm sorry the GPS is not what it's cracked up to be. I have seen drift with this thing that I can only describe as terrible and I'm glad my life is not depending on it. That being said...being a complete n00b of the highest order...when I did have a problem finding a cache I emailed the folks...they were more than happy to help me...and I did see the error of my ways and learned a lot from my DNF's.

 

And yes I do have a Colorado 400t on order.

 

Just my thoughts on a rainy night...for the past three nights...and three more nights if you beleive the forcasters.

Edited September 14, 2009 by mike-ski

[+hukilaulau]

I have been geocaching since 2004 and have quite a few finds under my belt. I tend to go out infrequently, but rack up big numbers in spurts. I went on a caching trip with my father two weeks ago, and got nearly as many DNFs as Fs. It was pretty frustrating, but sometimes you get those days. I report all of my DNFs because that might be info that future seekers and the owner of the cache might need to know.

Great attitude! But think, if everyone behaved this way there would far fewer drama-filled forum threads to entertain us!

[+Team A & M]

For our first 5, we did not find them. We went home to find one close to home and dedicated ourselves to it. We ended up in the woods at 11:30 at night with flashlights looking up, when we should have been looking down. We found what we thought was a HARD find, when now, thinking back, it was super easy. I searched for one three times, and had to call my GeoDad for gloves, since I forgot mine. He came, looked under the bridge, said "here it is", pulled it out, and that was that.

[+DHexplorer]

....away we went, taking all our kids with us.

 

A day out with friends and the kids? Sounds like a great day to me

 

In all seriousness though, I typically get EPE's in the 50-60 foot range on my iPhone in urban settings, so I consider it a minor miracle if I can find anything without the aid of a total spoiler Hint to go by

 

I agree, although it is frustrating not finding caches, you're with friends and family in natures wonder and it doesn't get any better than that. It's like 'a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work' Enjoy and don't give up - those kids will show you how the next time they see you. They got that tech thing down natually lol

[+Mr&MrsQuixote]

This thread confuses the heck out of me. My husband and I only have 11 finds out of 12 so far. We don't have the iPhone program just my blackberry, and when we started we didn't even have something to 'point' us in the direction. We literally said "Ok, these are the coordinates we need, this is where we are... move a little North... no, the other North."

 

Since we knew there would be a margin of error, we expect it.... so here's what we do, hopefully it will help you too... if you don't have a smart phone, look online ahead of time.

 

1. Know what size your are looking for.

 

2. Think like someone that is trying to hide their stuff from NPCs (aka muggles) finding it. It's certainly not going to jump out and grab your ankle.

 

3. If you are having trouble, read the hint. It's a hint, not a gimme. So think of it like a hint.

 

4. When all else fails, read the logs. See if you get any other clues that might help you with the search. For example someone might mention velcro or adhesive, so you know it's stuck to something - therefore stop looking on that tree.

 

Remember you're playing a techy hide and seek / find the treasure / scavenger hunt game that's for adults. Not an 'easy spot' easter egg hunt for little people. It's supposed to be hard! The highest reward comes from finding the hardest caches, not from the easy ones that you practically trip over.

 

P.S. Remember that aside from the actual hunt, part of the best part about this hobby is finding new and beautiful places you haven't been to, or seeing it in a light that you haven't seen. So even when you don't find a cache, look around and enjoy the beauty of it. We take our furry companions, pack some water and a mini picnic (fruit and cheese for us, carrots for the pups all packed in a mini backpack cooler), and sit down and enjoy some view at some point during our little trip.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Mr&MrsQuixote